Travel trailers are available in many types, shapes and sizes, and are typically dedicated for a single purpose. Trailers with flat beds are used for hauling cargo from building materials to furniture. They are generally topless and suited with a perimeter fence, or completely closed with an access door to retain their cargo. Trailers equipped with a flat bed or rails are normally used for transport of recreational vehicles such as all terrain vehicles, motorcycles, watercraft, bicycles or the like. There are trailers outfitted with camper modules, some of which, while incapable of carrying any substantial load, are capable of being converted from a transport trailer to a camper. A further division or class of camper trailer is the pop-up tent camper. These camper trailers are generally constructed of mild steel panels that can be articulated to a vertically expanded position, or popped up, and in combination with an internal tent fabric that acts in concert with the steel panels, reconfigures into a camper environment. Due to a general lack of applied engineering techniques, material selection such as mild steel and multiple gussets for structural stability causes the finished product to be overly weighty and cumbersome.
Lack of adaptability of travel trailers may be problematic if a user wishes to carry an object, such as an all terrain vehicle or a motorcycle, along with a camper. In these instances, one such option may be to use a truck for the tow vehicle that has a truck bed capable of accommodating the desired object. Further, if there are more than two passengers, the trip necessitates the use of a truck with an extended cab to provide greater passenger capacity. With regard to rafting, kayaking or other aquatic activities where there is an embarkation point and a debarkation point, a transport vehicle may be desirable at journeys end for return to the origination point. A travel trailer that allows one to trailer a light motor vehicle to the take out point, drop off the transportation, and return to the start point for a river experience without worry or concern over transportation arrangements may be desirable.
Some travel trailers may also be manufactured so as to be price competitive with little or no regard to curb weight. These types of travel trailers are fabricated for the most part, from less expensive materials, such as off-the-shelf mild steel, as opposed to proprietary custom shapes of more expensive non-corrosive lighter materials like aluminum. Any perceived savings from the initial purchase is quickly vanquished; initially by the requirement of a tow vehicle with a suitable tow package. A tow package, which generally consists of a heavier duty transmission, frame and suspension, can increase the expenditure for the prime mover by many hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Use of a motorcycle as a tow vehicle is not an option. Additionally, this increased weight, for the trailer and the tow vehicle, adversely affects the miles per gallon of fuel, again increasing the cost of the camping experience. Often, after detaching the trailer from the hitch, it is desirable to reposition the trailer and roll it manually to a more desirable location. Depending on terrain and topography, this operation may require more than one person.
Trailers built expressly for towing loads, especially in the form of wheeled vehicles, may be suited with a tilt capacity, or come with a ramp for on or offloading cargo while the trailer is still attached to the tow vehicle. Camper trailers are not intended to carry vehicles within and therefore are not available with a tilt option. Further, pop-up tent campers which unfold to provide sleeping surfaces do so by expanding forward and backward. As such, camper trailers may need to be removed from the towing vehicle in order to be tilted or to expand in order to construct sleeping and living quarters.
With regard to pop-up tent campers, the upper structure is not typically suited to support or carry a load. Carrying additional cargo may necessitate other transport capabilities for which the pop-up camper is not structurally suited to accommodate. One common answer for this problem is attachment of a roof rack for such cargo as kayaks or light articles, which must be placed atop the towing vehicle. This placement puts the cargo out of the driver's sight casting doubt and concern as to how securely the cargo is attached, especially at highway speeds. This high placement atop the vehicle causes additional problems in handling, due to a raised center of gravity coupled with wind resistance, which adversely affects the control and steering characteristics of the tow vehicle. A further disadvantage of this high placement is the difficulty of on or offloading the cargo from an uncomfortable lifting height.
As such, there remains room for variation and improvement within the art.